High Gain WiFi Antennas: How To Get Free
Internet With Long Range Wifi Adapters

By "Eve L. Genius"

About Me: I am the Information
Technology Manager and Network Administrator for a large company that
manufactures golf carts. At our large facility near Atlanta, which includes four
outbuildings, of which the farthest is over one half mile from the main office,
we use the components that I describe in this article to establish a strong
wireless network. If you have any questions about how to establish a long range
WiFi network feel free to contact me here:
Contact Eve

There are now high power, long range WiFi
adapters and antennas that can help you pick up a
free WiFi signal up to several miles away. These high gain WiFi adapters are
more powerful that the one that is embedded in your laptop or connected to your
desktop.

In these tough economic times many people are
looking for ways to save on expenses like internet. With the products mentioned
in this article you can share a connection or get free WiFi internet, even if it is a mile or more away!
There have been successful wireless internet connections using 802.11 G over 100
miles across Salt Lake In Utah! While the gear in this article is not for range
of that distance you can get well over a mile. All you need is a clear signal path, free of
hills, buildings and other obstacles.

When you set up a wireless network in you home
the origin from which the WiFi signal is transmitted is
called the router. The terminal point which is located either in your
laptop computer or attached to your laptop or desktop computer by USB or a PCI slot on the
rear of a desktop is called a wirelessadapter.
A wireless adapter is only as good as it's antenna and transmit power. To get
longer range you need a better antenna and more power to link up with a distant
router.

How WiFi Works

802.11 b/g Wireless uses a frequency of 2.4 Gigahertz, part of the
microwave end of the radio spectrum. Typically your laptop's wireless adapter only
transmits around 50 milliwatts (mw). High powered, aftermarket long range
WiFi adapters may transmit as much as one watt (1000mw) and
you can
connect to them to a high gain 2.4 Ghz panel antenna (14 dB or greater) that is mounted outside the home
or vehicle.

These long range WiFi adapter - antenna
combinations can often pick up WiFi signals up to a mile or more away. One
application where they could be used is by RV'ers in a large park to pick up the
WiFi network at the far end of the site.

What You Need For Very Long Range Wi-Fi

I recommend the USB type of wireless adapter sold
by Alfa or Engenius plus a high - gain panel antenna. It is what we use on our computers around the
facility where I work. It
works for both PC's and desktops and you can take the USB long range WiFi adapter from
computer to computer easily. You only
need to install the driver, that comes on CD, to each computer you plan to use
it on. Once the driver is installed you click on the utility and search for
networks and connect to the one that is the strongest.

Sharing A Wireless Internet Connection With
Long Range WiFi Antennas and High Power Wireless Adapters

A long range wireless adapter and antenna can
even be used to share your neighbor or family member's internet connection, even
if they are several blocks away. Most long range WiFi adapters such as the one
below feature a RP-SMA
antenna port that you can connect a high gain, directional antenna to. With
these long range directional WiFi antennas you can pick up wireless internet signals at an amazing
distance. You can use the panel WiFi antenna and cable below on your router as well
if it has a removable antenna with the standard RP-SMA connector. In the case of
a router with two antennas, simply unscrew one antenna and attach the cable
going to the outside panel antenna and you can beam the signal toward the other
location.

There are some factors that affect long range
WiFi reception. Weather, such as rain between the sending and receiving point,
objects such as trees and buildings and the number of users that may be
connected to that access point. You should always try and get the antenna as
high as possible, outside the home or vehicle.

Here is what IRecommend for Super Long
Range Wireless Internet...

Start With An Engenius or Alfa USB Wireless Adapter.
Engenius is known for industrial-quality ultra long range cordless phones
and wireless adapters. The Engenius model below transmits
a full 200 mw, more than enough for a long range connection and Alfa models put
out 1000mw which can help reach out even farther.

Next, add in an 18 Db gain panel antenna. Then, to connect the two you will need a cable that has an N
type connector for the panel antenna and an RP-SMA connector for the Engenius
adapter. The PRE ASSEMBLED cable below is 15'. You won't want to have
cable runs much
longer than that for most applications because of signal loss. 15' should get
you outside the house where you can mount the antenna on an exterior wall. The
bracket from an old DirecTV satellite dish works great to mount the antenna on
or you can simply attach it to a piece of pipe.

That's it. Once you are up and running try
adjusting the antenna in very small increments to see what WiFi signals you can
pick up. From my home I can pick up over 30 Wifi Networks, half of them are open,
including the Starbucks, although weak, at ten miles away.

++=Very Long Range WiFi*

Here Is How To Put Your Long Range WiFi
System Together...

To build yourself a very long range WiFi
system that will allow you to pick up wireless internet at a distance, you will
need all three of the following items: One High Power USB Wireless
LAN adapter, One 2.4 Ghz Panel Antenna and One Low Loss Pre-Assembled cable.
(see below). Note:If you are sending your own WiFi to an outbuilding
or other location, you will need a second panel antenna and cable assembly to
attach to the router where you have your broadband modem.

++=One Mile Or More Range* Great for picking up your
neighbor's network*.

How To Rebroadcast A Distant
WiFi Signal Again
Inside Your Home

The equipment shown above can be used to pick up
a distant wireless internet signal for use on one computer. If you want to
rebroadcast the signal via wireless (sort of like "doubly repeated WiFi,") you will
need to use a special repeater such as the one below. The Alfa models allow you
to rebroadcast wireless internet that you have picked up with a high - gain
antenna and adapter and share it with any wireless enabled device in the home by
creating a hotspot. You can actually create a second WiFi hotspot from the
original one by using this method. The Alfa R26 should work with an Engenius
adapter, but so far I've only used an Alfa adapter with an Alfa repeater. So far
I've had good luck with the Alfa products.

*Note that your range with any of
the long range WiFi adapters and antennas above depends on
the router's placement and antenna it uses. If you are using the components above to
connect to your own router at a distance, you may want to add an external
antenna to the router too. The panel antenna above, and cable, can connect to
most routers with an RP-SMA connector. Between the two panel antennas you may
expect range up to five miles or more with no obstructions in the way.
My longest WiFi
connection using these components at home has been 12 miles so far. Your range may vary
depending on obstacles and the availability of open wireless networks in your
area. Note, you should always enable your wireless router's security key to keep
your home network safe. Eve*

*Note: Using the
following components together may exceed the FCC's power limits if used in the
USA. Use at your own
discretion since each country has different laws regarding maximum output power
of 802.11 B/G WiFi equipment. You can find out which antennas are legal by contacting the manufacturer. You can find the FCC approval code on
your router or wireless adapter and find a list of approved antennas designed to
work with it. Picking up your neighbor's wireless network should be with
their permission only.

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